Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-12

saw before us tne town OF Nlllh Albu, Jne
centre Of the department Of the same name
1t was then hot noon, but the jefe invited
us into his cool court yard, and we abode
with him until the next day. The town
contains many substantial stone houses, a
fine church and, "a bustling market in a
wide plaza. The jete's hospitality was pro-
fuse, but we broke away from him the next
day and again took the trail.
On this last day of August, 1891, we
traversed section Of the country so differ
ent that it told us of near approach 10 the
warm region Of the coast for, after rid
ing up and down the cultivated slopes Of
hills, and crossing swift stream over a
kind of hammock bridge, we entered "A
great forest similar TO the high woods Of
the West Indies. The trees were enormous,
their trunks buttressed like Expresses, their
fine foliage projected against the sky at
least hundred feet above our heads, their
limbs and branches bound together by the
supple cordage of lianas, and festOoned
with thousands of epiphytes. We saw a
deer (renddO), and wild turkey (pdsO del
moHte) but wild animal life did not
abound, even birds being scarce, as well as
butterflies.
We lunched by the side of a swift falling
stream in a gorge filed with the rankest of
vegetable grOwths-ferns, biguonias and
wild plaintaus-and early in the afternoon
emerged from the forest into an Indian vii
lage called Tenaqui, buried deeply in
banana gardens that we hardly noticed the
houses Some hours later we reached Com
altepec, and at dark, in Il pouring rain, en-
tered the village Of Choapam, which lies on
steep hillside three or four rows OF
adobe houses in the midst Of luxuriant gar
dens. The hill descends rapidly to "a deeT
ravine in front il another long green hill
and farther east u great broad one, on
which are the church, half-dozen houses
and coffee groves of Latini
The jefe poiitico was the only white man
in the place the shrewdest geHtc de rdzOi
we had met with, who received us Sc
warmly and dscoursed upon politics 50 in
telligently, that it was far into the small
hours Of morning ere our chief sought his
canvass couch. He was a supreme opti
mist. this leader of ours, ever believing
that the next day would disclose 10 US som,
clue to the object of his search, some man
who could unerringly guide us and prov,
to be perfectly content with his lot. Find
ing in the Chief Choapam cOngenial soul
good listener, and one lavish with tequdo
and meScdi, he was 10th 10 leave his com
pany. As the tsgiiiG bottle was replenish
ed he drew out Of his saddle bag his pre-
cious CaStdS de Corits and undertook T.
prove to the Jcte that the trail We were pur
suing, led directly 10 the undiscovered riy
er with the sands Of gold. The jetr hac
resided in the country many years, and un
dertOok to rectfy at times, the statement
Of our friend regarding the geography oI
the region but at such times he was all
l,.,
trd '' C"Look here, my friend !'I, thai
promptly shut him up. Then the Mexican
would gnaw his beard and say, with wal
Of his head, he was welcome 10 his opinion
but he was glad he himself was not 10 tax,
the journey.
The next day, the first of September, in
stead Of starting off early in the morning
we did not leave Choapam till noon, and Il,
it was now the height Of the rainy season
when all travel should be made in the frs
half Of the day, We got well punished ful
our delay. We had just turned the first
hill, when black cloud that we had seer
gathering ominously above the ravine burs
over us, and the rain fell upon US in a
flood. To reach the opposite hill, we has
first to plunge into the ravine, and to dc
this were obliged 10 run down the side of {
| cliff, out Of which steps had been cut in tn,
solid rock. | was ahead when these peril
Gus stairs were disclosed, and the pressur,
of my companions mules from behind com
PEELED me to take the descent without
alighting and step by step, with a eau
| ton no beast but a mule could possess, my
good Juanita felt her way down those slip
perry rocks. There were between 20 or 3C
Of them, and as the mule hitched hersel
over each one | clung desperately IN tn,
saddle with nervous hands, feeling about
my heart an electric thrill and a pricklinl
sensation at the roots of my hair. As Jua
nita's hoofs finally slid on the yellow clay
/ beyond the last step. and | turned aroun,
70 see how my friends took it, | saw how
steep was the sheer wall above them, how
| black and precipitous the bank below, an,
trembled for their safety. But the miner
alogist came down jhuntily, swinging hi
whip, while the chief puffed away at hi
| cigar with a far-away look in his eyes tina
told of his Indifference 10 present circum
stances and implicit confidence in his mule
Full five hours the rain poured down il
torrents, making of the path a rushing
streamlet, and penetrating our rubber ca
| pas as il they were cotton capes. Tn,
landscape was entirely enveloped in cloud
! of mist, but we appeared to he surrounde'
! by great forests, at times by hills, and W.
| plodded disconsolately along steep bdJddds
or descents, ravines and cdHHddS, or waite
courses. Late in the afternoon We passe,
| by aspout with running water and a smootl
washing stone but the settlement, of whicl
this would indicate the proximity, had per
! ished-a wild growth of bananas and plan
tains alone remaining.
A little while before it was time for tn
L Il,
! habitation, a single hut, called La Hermit
the Hermit alone in the wilderness. |
! was in charge of girl of II and a small
boy, with whom without asking their per
mission we proposed stopping for the nigh
for there was no other shelter for man
miles A liberal offer of silver started tn
boy in pursuit of chicken and set the gir
| grinding corn at the metaie, while our mt
Zero dragged the packs and saddles fron
the mules and kindled blaze on the cla
floor Of the hut, by which we YEARLY sa
down and drew off boots and leggins, sat
urated with water, like the rest of our gar
ments. 1t required a good hour by tn
spluttering flame, and half the chiefs sup
! ply of dgtdIriiente, to bring their wonte,
suppleness to our limbs, and dispel the at
mosphere Of gloom, and then we fell to up
on the chicken (which had been driven fror
Joyous life directly into the stew-pan, as i
were and the few exceedingly rough tor
tillas prepared by the maiden Although
the chief was the direct instrument of a
this misfortune, we did not reproach him
being too unutterably woe smitten to do SC
and retired TO sleep as soon as our ham
mocks were hung. We had plenty of CON
pany. Ny hammock was directly over
hrooding turkey, which kept up a hissin
noise the whole night through: IA femal
dog with litter Of pups snarled an
whined whenever | stirred a roost q
fowls ON either side chucked and murmuI
ed at my slightest motion, while rats an
mice coursed over the corn covering tn
Slated floor just above my head and in
quisitive pigs rooted over our saddles an
boots spread ON the mud floor Yet "
rested we'll though the boy was shellin
corn and the girl grinding il, for our break
fast till long past midnight and in tn
morning arose refreshed, yet damp an
very stiff. At spring of sweet waite
which bubbled up in the centre of banan
grove we bathed our stifened limbs AN
washed our soiled clothing, and in fou
hours from sunrise We're again on tn
march.
1t was at this point that the chief expect
ed 10 ma traces OF ancient runs, DuI ull
gent search and inquiry revealed nothing
and he suddenly changed his mind, cor
Guiding the ruins must he on another ira
which we had missed. Beyond Hermit
we passed over oak covered hills of fern
ginous earth, plunging rapidly downwar
towards terra cdliente-the hot country {
the eastern coast and three hours brougl
us TO Jalahui, right ON the dividing line b'
tween the warm and the temperate regions
Should a naturalist-or that nondescriI
which generally travels under that pseud,
nym, the "colector" visit this sec
ton of Mexico, he should make his heaG
quarters here, as it is situated at the unio
Of hill and low country, high enough TO |
tolerably healthy and yet within reach {
the great forests of the humid lowlan'